Children from Nailsea were delighted to return to school after the holidays to enjoy their new play area.

Parents, staff and pupils have been raising money for three years to provide new equipment for the playground at St Francis Primary School.

The Friends of St Francis School have put on a number of events to raise the cash and parents and pupils also held a working day last month to prepare the play area.

A school spokesman said: “There was much excitement at St Francis’ this week as children returned from the school holidays to the site of a newly completed play area for junior children.

“The equipment has been funded by three years of hard work from the Friends of St Francis School, which has been saving hard in order to pay for a new adventure circuit for the older children in the school.”